And again, it's nearly here!

I am just sitting here with a cuppa, having returned from the last present shopping, phew!  This is after we have already been to town, taken by two of our granddaughters, to see Paddington, and what fun it was.  We decided to go here instead of the Panto, as I had left it very late to get the idea of going, and all that was really left was in Glasgow, and it would have cost £130 + for us to go.  This is on top of a 1 ½ hour journey, which Mr T was not keen on, so Paddington it was, and I am really rather pleased we did.

We are trying to cut down on spending now, as we are both looking for jobs and have not been successful so far.  I just had some good feedback this week, as to why I didn't get the last post I interviewed for.  As, it seems, I have all the relevant qualifications and bags of experience, but don't tell them about it!  I last interviewed for a job I got, back in the year 2000 so am deffo out of practice of selling myself.  So, I have now started to remember the questions I was asked and practice in the car, what I should say!  Surprisingly, I flounder even then, so will keep practicing until I convince myself.  I have another application going in shortly, so wish me luck.

This year has been quite good on the health and weight front.  I am as recovered as I will be from the back surgery I had in September 2013, and my strength is improving with some walking, and the aquafit sessions.  But, Mr T and I have also been doing the Slimming World diet.  Due to my current work commitments (a lot of running about for not much pay) Mr T has more or less been left to organise the cooking, and has been doing a sterling job.  He has lost just over 2 stone, and I have lost 1 stone, ta da!  However, Mr T's aunty showed us photos of when we saw them in May this year, and I reckon we have lost much more than we have measured.  We both love this diet, as you can more or less eat whatever you wish, without using fat, and measuring your 'syns.' This means you don't miss out on anything you like to eat - in my case it is cake, I'm afraid.  It is due to change next week, but the nod is that it is the same, just easier.  (Reading the magazine, I suspect it is reducing your syns from 15 - 20 per day, down to 10, but we'll see.)

Crafting this year has now included patchwork and quilting, and oh boy, is it addictive!  I have had three quilts on the go, and actually completed one of them;

This is the front of my 'Beginners' quilt, and the back looks like this;

The pictures are as brilliant as I would have liked, but the main fabric is calico, and the rest is fabrics I had in my stash, so it didn't cost me anything, except for the lessons.

The other two are one for my daughter that is blocks made up of hexagons, that were given to me, and the sashing (the strips between the blocks) are made up of vintage sheets I have.  The other one is made up of five fabrics of which I bought a metre each.  There are 5" blocks, which are folded and cathedral windows that are called 'secret garden.'  And, then there will be 'four patch' blocks, also measuring 5" in a random pattern. There are no photos of these yet, but watch this space.  And, I am not starting anything else, until these two quilts are finished. Or, I will end up with loads of WIPs to go with the other sewing and knitting projects I have laying around.

This last photo is of an embroidery I made for a friend.  It also sums up how my housekeeping skills have been this year - absent!

HAPPY CHRISTMAS and BEST WISHES for 2015

xxx

And, I'm feeling good!

Hurrah!  I have been twice now to the gym, on the GP referral thingy, and it seems to have lifted my mood, quite significantly.  I suddenly feel better than I have done, in the last couple of years.

In other news, I have finally completed a 16 page report I needed, and wanted, to get done.  And, I'm pleased with it.  I am a workaholic sometimes, and this rarely changes, so I am learning to accept it for what it is, and go with the flow.  And, this helps with the stress levels, too.

On the craft front I am keeping quite busy, too.  I went to a lampshade making course, and really enjoyed it.

This is my lampshade, with the blue and grey circles.  It was some fabric I bought several years ago, to line a bag I was making my daughter, for Christmas.

Lacemaking!  Something that has been on my mind for ages.

And, the weaving.  I have wanted to do weaving for such a long time, and dare not start it.  Now, if I want to continue with it, I will need to find lots of space and lots of money.   Damn, shouldn't start something, you can't carry on, really.  Hmm.

And, another thing

Hi there, yes it's me.  Where did January go, I ask you?

All of a sudden it is February, and we still don't have snow where we are, but they do have lots of it 'up the Glen' as I understand it.  I do miss getting snowed in, but do love being able to get out and about, now we're living in the town.

The weight is starting to shift slowly, with 4 lbs off.  Not a lot, but a good start, and on the right road.  The secret, I have found after all this time, is planning.  I have been planning my menus and recipes and shopping lists, and it seems to help.  Yes, I did write recipes - write down the book/magazine page numbers, so I don't lose the darned thing once I have shopped for it.  And, yes recipes as I cannot abide processed food.  The slimming world class I go to all rave on about a packet of stuff that is a pasta with cheese sauce, and you just add milk.  Then, you whisk up some eggs, add that and it cooks in the oven, like a quiche.  I can think of nothing more awful (and I am being polite here) than a packet of cheese sauce.  So, I made the thing from scratch and it took probably about the same amount of time and tasted delicious, and there was some leftover for lunch the next day.  And, here is one of our favourites, a Kedgeree, but with so much less butter than the usual recipes ask -



The crafting is getting well behind, as I still have some reports for work to finish off, that are quite lengthy.  Once they are done, I have promised myself a good long break - which will probably be the month of April, when I shall do nothing but craft, hurrah!

I was due to start an eight-week weaving course last Tuesday, but had the most dreadful and prolonged heavy cold, and had to cancel, bah!  But, I am ready and able to go this week, and am really looking forward to it.






In the meantime, nanny's lolly-dolly wanted some knitted socks, so I promptly made her some pink ones.  However, it was purple ones she really wanted, so these are on the pins as we speak.


These are actually less pink than in this picture.









But, what I really want to be getting on with is this ->

Well, if I get on with one or two of my reports today, I will be ready for the week to start in full swing again, tomorrow.

See you soon.
x